Archive for February 2014

Live fearlessly? Pfft. Embrace those scaredy-cat feelings, I say. There’s nothing like taking charge of your life from underneath the covers behind a locked door while cradling a baseball bat. For as long as I’ve loved books, I’ve had a fondness for the suspense/horror genre. I don’t read it as much now, but as a... Read more »

Not that she needs me to tell her that. I’m pretty laid back. There are relatively few things that fan the flames of loathing for me—people throwing garbage or cigarette butts out their car window, bullies, (inexplicably!) Dodge Sprinter vans, and this—when authors go off on other authors and have the balls to say, “Well,... Read more »

For once, a father-daughter tale. It’s been a while since I’ve come across a story that has a father-daughter focus, but therein lies the core of Wiley Cash’s “This Dark Road to Mercy,” his followup to his debut, “A Land More Kind Than Home.” Full disclosure—while I checked out ALMKTH at least twice from the... Read more »

How often do you consider life’s circumstances? Edwidge Danticat’s mesmerizing “Claire of the Sea Light” is as much lyrical prose as it is an unsettling, almost voyeuristic look into the often poverty-stricken life of a Haitian town. For all the central characters of the book, they’re tied together by their bonds to Ville Rose, the... Read more »

Back away from the “50 Shades of Grey.” There’s so much better out there when it comes to love. Even sex. Everyone’s got their favorite love story, and I am no exception. I love love stories—just not the Harlequin kind. If you’re looking for love between the pages, I’ve got a few suggestions for the... Read more »

Meet The Blogger

Kelly Konrad

Kelly Konrad, aka "LitzyDitz," is a managing editor for a Chicago-based publishing firm. A graduate of Michigan State University and a Cubs fan, she's become accustomed to rooting for the underdog. She lives in Glenview with the hubs and three kids and can often be found lurking the stacks at the library, cursing under her breath when someone else beats her to a new release.